Quid Pro Quo
by Sperare
Summary: Chloe betrays Clark and exposes his secret. A while later he comes to visit her in the Daily Planet, which causes Chloe to think back about what happened that caused her to betray him and what resulted from her betrayal.
1. Chapter 1

Sorry this took me so long. This is just the beginning of the story anyway. For those who are curious "quid pro quo" means "something in exchange for something else". I'm taking Latin and I thought that it might be interesting to try to work that in here. It will make more sense in later chapters. Enjoy the story!

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He stood before me and there was no mistaking him. "Clark...you look so...different."

And he did. His hair was a dirty blond and he had contacts that made his eyes blue. But I'd know that face anywhere-At least I'd thought that I had. "Surprised to see me?" His voice was cold and it scared me.

"I've got you to thank for it, Chloe."

I gulped. He certainly did. "Clark, I'm sorry. That's all I can say."

"You killed Clark Kent, you know that right?" he asked softly.

"What are you going by now?"

He laughed and it held none of the farm boy warmth that I remembered. "Now? What you mean since you revealed Clark Kent and Superman were one to the world? Before you destroyed Clark Kent's normal life so that he had to become someone else? Now? Now, I'm going by Kal Tnek."

"Kent backwards," I mumbled.

"It's good to see that you haven't lost your grip on the obvious, Chloe," he said, anger rumbling in his voice. "Although I do have one question: Why did you sell me out?"

Tears were in my eyes now. "I swear, Clark, it wasn't supposed to happen."

"No? Those words printed themselves?"

The tears began to fall. "Clark, I'm sorry. I-you-when you proposed to Lana I couldn't take it!"

He looked livid and ready to kill. "So what?" he screamed in my face. "You thought that you'd shatter my life? Well, you succeeded in keeping me and Lana apart because the frickin' day after your article was written all my enemies went after her." His face held a helpless quality now. "I couldn't stop them all and they killed her."

He straightened up and regained his composure. "But you already know that," he said quietly. "It probably makes you delighted. Was it hard to pretend all those years that you were her friend?"

"I wasn't pretending," I whispered.

His eyes turned hateful. "No? Then explain why she's dead."

"Clark, I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to kill her!"

There was no denying his hatred now. He grabbed my arm and tossed me against my desk. "Then why is she dead!" he yelled into her face.

I was full out sobbing now. "Clark, I'm sorry! I didn't think! It was a spur of the moment thing derived from my emotions and...I'm so sorry." It was all I could offer him and I knew it was no where near enough.

"Sorry won't bring her back." His eyes were cold and I felt as though his stare was turning me to ice. "Were you really that obsessed with me?"

"Clark-,"

"Shut up!" he screamed. "I can't stand to hear more of your pathetic lies and excuses!"

"Then why did you come?" he asked timidly.

I regretted asking the question as soon as it left my mouth. "I can't kill you, Chloe. It's just not in me. I can, however, destroy your life just as you've destroyed mine."

I began to shake. He certainly could. If only I could take that article back. I don't know why I ever wrote it. All I remember is seeing the man I loved about to marry someone else and I couldn't take it so in my madness I did the only thing I could. What a mistake it was. "Clark, please-,"

"How did you feel when Clark Kent disappeared after Lana's death, but Superman remained?"

"Clark-,"

Anger radiated off him in waves. "Superman has the power of the respect of the public, Chloe."

"Clark I-,"

"Superman can turn this whole city against you."

"No, Clark-"

"You're job, your house, your existence; I can make it all go away, like that." He snapped his fingers for emphasis.

I felt sick to my stomach. I couldn't blame him for wanting to destroy me. I'd destroyed what he loved. Why shouldn't it go both ways?

His eyes glowed with fire. "But you know what, Chloe?" He had moved uncomfortably close now. I shook my head to show that I didn't understand. "I won't."

Slowly, as if time had stopped, he leaned down and placed a kiss, light and soft as the spring breeze, on my lips. "Congratulations, Chloe, I hope it was worth it."

I could only watch in a daze as he moved to the door. An instant later he was gone. I wouldn't see him again, that much I knew.

I stumbled over to my desk, an emotional wreck. What had happened here? Memories began to flood my mind.

**TBC…**


	2. Chapter 2

**FLASHBACK**

Chloe Sullivan sat at her desk-her new desk, for she'd been moved up in the ranks of the Daily Planet. It was her dream come true.

The doors open and in came Clark Kent. "Hey, Chloe!"

She smiled that special smile she reserved just for him. "Hey, Clark! How do you like the new space?"

"It's great, I'm so happy for you. You've been working hard for this your whole life. You really deserve it."

She smiled again. "Thanks, Clark!"

He grinned in a way that showed he had something to tell her as well. She laughed and questioned, "What is it, Clark? It must be really good to make you grin like that."

"I proposed to Lana."

Chloe felt her heart drop somewhere in her knees. Sure she was aware that they'd been dating for two years, but some part of her had always thought that with his secrets it would never work. That same part of her had entertained the thought that she, having known his secret for two years, would be there for him when it fell through; that she might eventually have a chance. "What did she say?" she asked.

She put on the classic happy-for-your-friend face, despite the devastation inside her. She didn't have to ask to know what Lana had said. That grin on Clark's face told her everything.

The grin turned into a full-blown smile. "She said 'yes'!"

"Clark, that's great!" Another cover-up, another façade as to what she was really feeling.

"Thanks so much, Chloe! I wanted you to be the first to know!"

She smiled again and felt as though her jaw was going to drop off from being held in a smile for so long. "I'm honored, Clark. When's the date set for?"

"Two months from now. I know it's kind of short notice, but Lana didn't want to wait."

Chloe was sure that if he didn't leave now she would cry. "That's wonderful, Clark. I'll be sure to mark my calendar. Now, I've got a lot of work to do, so if you don't mind…"

"I don't mind." He gave her another happy smile and headed for the door. As soon as the door was shut Chloe broke down in wracking sobs on her desk.

--------------**PRESENT**

It all seemed just yesterday today. I was at the same desk, in the same emotional state, only this time Clark Kent hated me and I had managed to contain my tears. I was a different person now than I was then.

I gathered some papers around from my desk and began to file them, not really paying attention to what I was filing. All I could think of was how much our past actions influence us in the present.

Perhaps if I'd played the happy friend permanently instead of doing what I did, then I'd still have Clark as a friend. It would be no where near as good as what Lana had, but it would definitely be better than what I had right now.

If only I hadn't made that choice. If only I hadn't betrayed the both of them.

--------------**FLASHBACK**

Chloe collected herself and dried her tears. She had no idea what to do. She was about to loose the one person she loved more than anything. Letting it happened didn't seem to be an option that she could live with.

Plans ran through her mind, each crazier than the one before it. Then, in her emotionally broken state, she entertained the one possibility she'd sworn that she'd never act on.

She could expose Clark. She knew Clark Kent was Superman. He'd been open with her about that since day one, considering that she knew about his powers. If she exposed him it was sure to break him and Lana up. After all, Lana was so obsessed with the fact that he kept secrets from her.

Looking back, she realized that she hadn't been thinking clearly at all. She never thought what would happen if he and Lana really did break up. She certainly never thought about the fact that he might hate her for destroying his life. All that she thought about was making sure he and Lana never walked down that isle.

Not stopping to examine what she was doing, she began to write up the article. "Clark Kent is Superman", the title read. She gave a detailed explanation, plus many facts that were undeniable to anyone with half a brain. Assembled all together, the article should have left no doubt in an educated man's mind as to who Clark Kent really was.

She sent it into the printer. Clark Kent was going to be exposed.

-------------**PRESENT**

I found the article that I'd written, exposing him. What I had done seemed vulgar to me now, and I held the sheet of paper as if by simply touching it I too would become infected by its detrimental quality-not that I hadn't already.

I pulled from beneath it the responses to it from the public. A few were critical, but most were glowing with praise. I read the first one.

-_You will be remembered as the woman who brought truth to a public blinded by lies._

I read another.

-_Thanks to you, we now know who we truly have to thank for our safety._

If only Clark saw it that way.

-_You are hailed today as one of the greatest truth seekers in American history._

Those were some of the more over the top ones. I felt like hurling when I read the reviews. How there could be people in this nation who saw things that way was beyond me. And I will be remembered as one of them. That was not-is not-a legacy I want to leave behind me.

I pondered why Clark had even come to see me. I figured that it was probably to show me just what I had done; to make sure that I could see the results of the metaphorical stone I had set in motion.

He knew that I wouldn't betray him a second time. The first had been quite enough for me. He already hated me and, besides, there was no reason for me to do it a second time-Lana was dead. He knew all these things. It hurt me that Clark had been so embittered towards me that he would come back only to show me what a wreck I'd made of his life. But then again, I supposed I deserved it.

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

--------------**FLASHBACK**

Chloe had been up the whole night as it sunk in what the repercussions of her actions could be. Now she was back at the Daily Planet with a cup of coffee in her shaking hand. The story had hit the streets that morning and there was no telling what was going to happen next.

She sat down at her desk, but her nerves were too bad to actually get work done. She was shaking like a junkie and as she reached across the desk she knocked her coffee all over her papers. Swearing softly, she grabbed a towel with which to clean it up. Her desk was a sopping mess. "Like my life," she thought.

The door flew open and slammed into the wall. In the doorway was the person she'd been dreading seeing all morning.

Clark Kent was teary-eyed and looked as though he'd jumped out of bed, pulled on what he'd worn the day before, and made a dash for the Daily Planet. "How could you, Chloe?" he whispered. His voice changed abruptly as he began to yell in anger, "Dammit! Tell me you have some good reason for doing this!" he yelled.

"Clark-I-I, no I don't," she admitted sadly. "It was a rash move and as soon as it was done I regretted it!"

His face was shocked. "You really did this of your own free will? I never should have trusted you! Chloe, do you have any idea what has happened? People are storming my apartment! Lana has gone to hide out some where-that's why you did this isn't it?"

The realization on his face was ten times worse than the anger that had been there a second before. "You can't take that I'm marrying her!" He put his face in his hands. "I'm such an idiot. I thought that you'd be happy for me! I thought that you were over me! I thought you'd moved on. I mean, you're dating another man! I-even if you weren't how could you do this? What did you think would happen?"

Her voice had gone high and shrill now. "Clark, I don't know! It was a rash decision; I've already told you that! I wasn't thinking straight! I'm sorry!"

"You're sorry? That's the best you can do? Damn, Chloe, my side of normal life is completely torn asunder because of your 'rash decision' and 'sorry' is the best you can do?" he hollered. "It's not good enough!"

Chloe pressed back into her desk away from him. "I know," she whispered, "but it's all I've got to offer."

His eyes were flashing. "It's no where near good enough."

She had to hold on to her desk to keep from falling as she watched him walk out. She knew that this was not nearly as bad as it would get. She'd opened a can of worms.

------------------**PRESENT**

I wondered faintly if there was anything that I could do for Clark now. My brain instantly shot down that idea. Even if I could, Clark wouldn't accept my help. Besides, I didn't know where to find him anymore.

Sure he'd told me his name, but that was all that I knew about him. I'd never be able to find him on just that.

I took a deep breath and went over to the coat rack to collect my things. My work here was done for the day and it was time to go home. Staying any longer would simply allow me to stare at the spots were Clark had been on the day I exposed him and then his visit today as well. I had no desire to torture myself.

I pulled on my jacket and walked out of the office. Heading down the hall, I went out of the building and to my car. Putting the car in gear, I drove home.

Pulling into the garage, I parked my car and headed inside. As I walked through the front door, more memories hit me. It seemed that there was no where I could hide from memories of Clark Kent.

------------------------**FLASHBACK**

Chloe had left work at the Daily Plant at noon, feigning sickness. As she walked through her front door she felt the unmistakable wind behind her. "Clark?" she mumbled.

"She's dead." His voice sounded flat, lifeless.

"W-who?" Chloe stuttered.

"Lana."

Chills ran up and down her body as if she'd been electrocuted. "Lana?" she said, barely audibly.

"Killed by my enemies who, when they found out about those I loved in my private life, all stormed her hiding place at once. I couldn't stop them all. She was killed brutally."

"Clark, oh, Clark, I'm so sorry. You don't know how sorry I am."

Chloe preferred the hysterical, shouting Clark Kent of earlier in the day to the now cold, lifeless, Clark Kent of now, whose voice remained void of emotion, even as he spoke of his fiancé being murdered. It was a classic tactic: Shut off your emotions until you're able to deal with them.

"I don't care whether you're sorry, Chloe. Sorry won't bring her back. I hope you're happy," he told her simply.

"Oh no, happy-no! Clark, how can you say that? She was my friend! I could never be happy about her death!"

"I guess you're a lousy friend then, but then again the article proved that theory marvelously."

"Tell me what I can do," she begged.

For the first time since he'd entered her apartment she saw a hint of emotion on his face in the form of a sneer. "Do? Chloe, there's not a blessed thing that you can do. I think you've done quite enough already, in fact."

Tears began to trail down her face. "Clark..."

"You've got no right to cry. This is your doing," he informed her.

"I didn't kill her!" she protested.

"No," he agreed with a sigh, "no, you didn't. You just loaded the gun and pointed it in the right direction."

Chloe could feel herself falling apart rapidly. "Clark, could you please leave now?" she choked out.

He nodded. "I very much doubt that I'll be back."

**TBC…**


	4. Chapter 4

This is the last chapter of this story. This wasn't meant to be a long story, sorry to say. I just had this idea in my head after Chloe found out Clark's secret of what would happen if she told. I thought it would be neat to write a story from Chloe's point of view showing how and why it came about. I hope you enjoyed it.

I've got another story in the works, but it might take a while before I get it posted. I've found that writeing the story completely and then posting it works better than posting it as I write it. Thanks for reading!

---------------------**PRESENT**

He hadn't come back, not until today. I had never thought that I'd see him again, but for some reason he had come back. He'd brought with him all the memories that I'd buried and had never wanted to dig up again back.

I recalled that last time I'd seen him again and realized that I'd turned Clark into the cold, no longer forgiving, cynic man that had come to see me today. I had single handedly ruined one of the most model personalities in the world.

I'd meant what I'd said to Clark: I was sorry that Lana had died. Despite my overwhelming jealousy of her, I'd always considered her a good friend. Clark was right; what it all boiled down to was that I'd killed her. It might not have been my intention, but it was still my fault.

I wonder where Clark has been hiding all these years. I know he's still in Metropolis for Superman still is. It wouldn't be hard to find him now that I know his new name-but I won't and he knows I won't. I don't think that he cares if I even do anyway. The façade that he has created now means nothing to him. It probably wouldn't matter to him if he had to take a new name and life again; after all, he already lost the one he loves.

Clark won't fall in love again. I saw it in his eyes at Lana's funeral. He gave that part of himself to her and when she died, it died too. As surely as Lana is dead and buried, so is that part of him.

------------------------**FLASHBACK**

The sky was cloudy and dark; a certain precursor of the rain to come. It didn't surprise Chloe. She couldn't remember going to a funeral where it was sunny.

The service had been long and so terribly fake. All Chloe had done was watch Clark as he stared blankly ahead. That was the last appearance of Clark Kent as himself.

Even now there was no closure to be had for him. The reporters swarmed the funeral of what they called "Superman's bride to be". Only by the efforts of the police were they kept from entering the church.

Clark had sat at the front, whispers surrounding him. His parents had sat beside him, refusing to yield to the emotions, but only trying to be there for their son.

After the service the reporters had to be pushed away so that the coffin could be carried out and the funeral precession to the graveyard could begin. Even then they followed along like vultures waiting for a scrap of juicy tabloid-material meat.

Once everyone had assembled in the graveyard, the casket had begun to be lowered into the earth. Clark's expression remained blank and detached, but so haunting, as if he longed to throw himself into that hole with her.

The minister had said a few words, once again-nothing moving as he hadn't even known Lana. Then the service had officially been declared closed. Chloe had gone to seek out Clark, but she hadn't been able to find him.

The Kents wouldn't even look at her and she didn't blame them. She was shocked that she'd even been allowed to come to the service. She supposed it was the fact that Lana had made a will and on it she'd included Chloe. That was something that would haunt Chloe until the day she died. Besides, she felt dirty and fake even being here, but a part of her felt she had to be.

Knowing that she wouldn't find Clark, she headed back to her car just as the rain began to fall. "The sky is crying," she thought, "And with good reason."

------------------------**PRESENT**

I put my things away and headed for the shower. That was just what I needed right now: A warm soothing shower.

As I was readying myself for my shower I got to thinking. Why would Superman bother to still protect the city that had betrayed him so? The only explanation that I could come up with was that perhaps he wasn't as cynic as I thought. Perhaps he still believed that the civilians of Metropolis were good people.

I let out a sigh as I stepped into the warm water. Clark had completely disappeared after the funeral. Probably his parents knew where he was, but other than that I believed that one knew.

I wet my hair down and rubbed some shampoo into it. I wished that the memories would go away. Perhaps Clark had been right to start new. A new name, a new identity: No one knew enough about you to judge.

What would have happened if I hadn't betrayed Clark? I wonder about that every day. My betrayal was a quid pro quo, only the exchange was not equal. I got Clark and Lana's separation in exchange for my friendship with both. I came out on the loosing end for certain, although I'm not sure there was a winning end, really.

I knew that I'd never see Clark again. His last visit to me in the Daily Planet was just that: A last visit. It was his way of saying goodbye and showing me what had become of him.

The water cascaded through my hair, rinsing it clean. I stepped from the shower and began to dry myself with a towel. His last visit had been a separation. He was truly done with his old life; with Clark Kent.

Steam from the shower was filling the bathroom. As I wrapped the towel around me, I looked into the mirror. Staring back at me was a young woman who was blond and attractive but clearly not happy.

I frowned at my image, for I didn't like what I saw. What could have changed me, I wondered. To me it was obvious that even if I hadn't exposed Clark and remained his friend, I still wouldn't have been happy. So what would it have taken?

It would have taken Clark. Perhaps that was the real reason that I betrayed him. Maybe the engagement was only a catalyst that set everything in motion. I had wanted what I couldn't have and in my subconscious-or maybe not so subconscious-jealousy I'd made sure that if I couldn't have it, then no one else could either.

I sighed and looked in the mirror again. More sincere than I had been in years, I whispered, "Wherever you are, and whatever you're doing, I hope you're happy, Clark. I love you."

The words weren't enough and I knew that. Nothing would ever be enough to fix what I had destroyed.

THE END


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